Chapter 61

".....Grandfather."

"Oh my! Who messed up our dear Heize's beautiful face like this?"

Augustine was as open-hearted towards Heize as he had been towards Elric.

The difference was that while Elric had initially caught his attention simply because of his innate talent, Heize stood out to him because of her gentle temperament.

Even her polite demeanor towards adults was noteworthy.

The more Augustine looked at her, the more he couldn't help but smile.

Should I say she is like a granddaughter?

He hadn't married, but if he had children and then grandchildren, wouldn't it feel like this?

'If only I could welcome this child into our family, that alone would make me incredibly happy!'

She seemed quite skilled in handling the Sledgehammer, indicating that she had reached a considerable level as a martial artist.

And so, without realizing it, Augustine began to think of Heize as a granddaughter-in-law.

'Which one should I go with? Venta? No, he's too gruff. There's a high chance our Heize will get hurt. Then, John...? Hmm, he's so mean. Sean, maybe. She seems close to Sean, so should I consider Sean as a candidate?'

Heize spoke with a stern expression on her face, not knowing that Augustine had already married her off several times in his imagination.

"Is there no way to punish the people who planned this?"

Augustine's imagination had to stop there.

And he maintained the same demeanor.

In front of them, totems of the same shape, only slightly different colors, were lined up in a row.

In recent days, the culprit who had stopped them on their journey northward.

Elric and the others had visited hidden settlements along the mountain range, and they had easily discovered numerous hidden totems.

The villages were all experiencing different anomalies.

Some, like the first village, were suffering from severe drought, while others were plagued by thick frost at night, ruining crops, or being overrun by wild animals. Suddenly, landslides occurred for no apparent reason, sweeping entire villages away.

All of these disasters had occurred within a relatively short period, ranging from three to six years.

The death toll was considerable.

'The bigger problem was that the local administrative bureau couldn't even understand it properly.'

The reason why there had been no reports until now was that the affected villages had been established by travelers who had fled into the mountains to evade heavy taxes.

Places where the hand of the administration could hardly reach, let alone any intention to do so.

It was clear that those who orchestrated this had deliberately targeted such vulnerabilities.

But now that Augustine had turned the local administration bureau upside down using his position, it was obvious that a full-scale investigation would begin.

The totems are imbued with demonic energy. They had no choice but to take it seriously as it was evidence that the demons might be on the move again.

Of course, the officials of the local administration bureau in this area, who had neglected the situation until it reached this point, would undoubtedly lose their positions one by one.

But that was something Augustine didn't need to concern himself with.

'Anyway.'

Augustine narrowed his eyes.

'I don't know how my disciple can find something that even this old man can't find.'

In fact, it was all thanks to Elric's miraculous skill that the totems had been found.

'He says it's Preta, but there's clearly nothing like that. Or perhaps his temperament has mixed with Melvinger's traits, developing new characteristics?'

Though he couldn't understand the reasons, since good was good, he didn't delve deeper into his thoughts.

Augustine never even entertained the idea that Mephistopheles, the great demon king, was beside Elric, teaching him everything.

"I also have an overwhelming desire to catch those scoundrels who committed these wicked deeds and chop off their heads... but it seems this is beyond our jurisdiction."

Heize silently nodded in agreement.

After Augustine's words, there was nothing more they could do.

All they could hope for was a proper investigation and punishment for the culprits.

They needed to head north quickly.

Heize's hand, running along the handle of the Sledgehammer, tightened and loosened several times.

***

However, Elric's group had to halt their journey once again.

It was because of an unexpected visitor.

"'Inspection Bureau'? Why are they here?"

Augustin's expression turned incredulous as he heard the report brought by coachman Karl.

Even he, as the head of the Nerester family's senate, felt uncomfortable being in close proximity to the "Inspection Bureau".

"The reason will be conveyed directly after meeting with their captain. What should we do, sir?"

"What are the chances that it's fake?"

"The identification seal was confirmed."

"I see. No one would dare to impersonate Inspection Bureau agents... Hm!"

Even the most audacious thief wouldn't dare to impersonate Inspection Bureau agents, knowing it could make them enemies of the crown for life.

But Augustine didn't hastily respond; instead, he turned to Elric.

Since it wasn't his decision to make.

Even if he was the eldest among them, Elric was the one leading the group.

"I'll go out by myself."

Elric briefly draped the robe hanging on the chair over himself and opened the carriage door.

He never expected to meet the infamous Inspection Bureau firsthand in a place like this.

But the reason wasn't entirely unimaginable.

'They might suspect the appearance of demons.'

The Inspection Bureau was an intelligence agency composed of absolute loyalists solely dedicated to the Emperor and the imperial family.

They were monsters who engaged in abductions, bribery, blackmail, and even assassination if necessary, all for their missions.

Their capabilities were said to rival even the Magic Tower and the Lion family.

Considering their resources alone, it wasn't an exaggeration to say so.

Had they not realized the potential threat that the movements of the demons could pose to the safety of the imperial family and the empire?

Of course, it would cause quite a stir.

'It means that the imperial family doesn't simply regard this as a local disturbance. It's only natural." 

Considering the magnitude of the Great Demon War, which almost destroyed the Magic Royal Family, a major pillar of the empire.

That happened only a generation ago, so they have no choice but to brace themselves.

『If you meet those people who say they are from the inspection bureau or something, speak clearly! Uproot the remnants of that bastard Azazel right now! If you want, I'll even tell you the locations where they might be hiding!』

Mephisto's words were full of bloodlust.

[Is it okay to do that no matter how bad he is? Still, you are of the same race, right?]

『Humph! Same race? We have no such concept among us. It's just a matter of being eaten or eating.』

[That's why you were doomed by humans.]

『So what? Do you intend to let Azazel's minions go?』

[Of course not. They must be dealt with.]

While Elric may have spoken as such, he never had any intention of leaving Azazel's followers unpunished.

'Even if it's late, I planned to find the Temple of Flowers and complete 'Winter', then chase after those guys and destroy them all.'

But how nice it is that there are people who suddenly come forward and say they are going to attack these people, even though Elric did not specifically ask them to do so.

It was convenient too.

"Are you Elric Melvinger?"

Outside the carriage stood five men, all dressed in black suits and wearing identical masks.

They referred to themselves as the "Emperor's Shadows" and rarely revealed their faces or identities while on duty.

'What is this bastard?'

The tone of the person who appeared to be the leader was quite overbearing.

As the emperor's servant, he looked down on most nobles, so his attitude was that it was natural, and he seemed to have an intention to break the spirit of Elric, whose momentum had been rising recently.

Of course, there was no way it would work against Elric.

"Hu-huh?"

"Yes... huh?"

It's obvious.

Behind the black mask, the leader's eyebrow twitched slightly, while an oppressive aura emanated from him.

Nevertheless, Elric remained nonchalant.

"Even if you're from the Inspection Bureau, if you're personally running around the field, your rank must be no more than a squad leader at best. And if that's the case, you're just at the level of a Viscount."

Khhh-

Elric began to draw upon his mana, gradually alleviating the pressure exerted by the leader.

The stiffness in the eyes behind the mask seemed to soften slightly.

"Since when has a mere bureaucrat dared to treat a duke poorly? Or is that not the case?"

Whaack!

As Elric fully unleashed his mana, the leader's aura was completely pushed back.

Crack!

Moreover, it contained a certain amount of the power of the Demon King Yu.

With a blend of Magic Martial art and Body Strengthening Art, Elric's mana was as ferocious as that of a fierce beast.

The surrounding atmosphere trembled gently.

The murderous intent is so intense that just standing there makes your skin tremble and gives you goosebumps.

'What is this!'

'How can the power of a veteran warrior who has fought countless battles on the battlefield be felt from this young man?'

'They called him, the hero of Lacente...!'

As a result, the subordinates who were pressing Elric with their authoritative stance found themselves quite flustered.

In truth, many of them harbored jealousy towards Elric.

Having always operated in the shadows, it was somewhat natural for them to feel envious of Elric's sudden rise to prominence and his similar age.

Nevertheless, knowing that he was once considered a disgrace to the magic family, some had quietly dismissed him. But now, experiencing this firsthand, the moniker of Lacente's Hero seemed inadequate, if not understated. He was almost on par with a Magus.

Of course, Elric's unleashed mana didn't completely overwhelm the leader's aura. 

Their leader was still a respected veteran on the field, capable enough to easily handle most magicians if it came down to skill alone.

The issue was that Elric, using his status, had pressed down on them. 

As the era of the Magic Tower and the Lion family began, few people remember it now, but there are only four dukes in the empire.

If he asserted that authority, they had no choice but to bow their heads.

Regardless of personal status or title, there was no way for the 'Emperor's Shadow' to have an official status.

"I... made a mistake. Please forgive my rudeness."

"We beg for your forgiveness."

"We beg for your forgiveness."

In the end, when the leader slightly bowed his head, the other four followed suit. Their demeanor remained stiff, but the intimidation they once exuded was no longer present.

"If anything like this happens again, I will personally bring it to the attention of the Senate."

In the current government, which operates as a bicameral system, the influence of nobles is so strong that the Senate is called the 'House of Nobility.'

"I apologize."

"I apologize."

"You may raise your heads."

Only after receiving their complete submission did Elric accept their apologies.

『As expected, you never back down from a fight, huh?』

[What else do I have besides guts?]

『Heh! But their gaze has become even more fierce. Are you sure it's okay? They all seem to be specialized in assassination. What if they strike while you sleep?』

[I'll be fine. Besides, the more they hassle, the more I can torment them, right?]

『You're insane.』

[And even if it's just a show of force, isn't asserting dominance important? Besides, instilling fear isn't something I do alone.]

『Uh?』

Mephisto momentarily didn't understand Elric's words and instead glanced around before spotting Augustine inside the carriage, who was now looking at them with a smile.

『Well, if that stern old man steps in, one can't help but tremble,』 Mephisto remarked with a smirk.

As Elric and Mephisto anticipated, Augustine was deploying a message spell meant only for the Inspection bureau agents.

[Lucky for you. If this old man's disciple had been treated disrespectfully, I would have turned your lives upside down. Hehehe!]

For a moment, the eyes of all the agents trembled. No, it wasn't just trembling; they were in turmoil.

'The disciple of the 'White Night'? …..That's absurd!'

The Inspection Bureau, one of the four pillars of the empire, always kept an eye on the movements of the other pillar, the Magic Tower.

But, Augustine Nerester, the 'White Night', one of the most powerful figures in the Tower of Magic, has a disciple?

That's Melvinger's disgrace too?

It was shocking news that would have caused a huge uproar if it were known to the world.

'This must be reported to the higher-ups immediately!'

Adding to the news of the involvement of the White Night in this group, there had already been orders from above to investigate the details!

The leader suddenly felt a heavy weight on his shoulders.

They were already paying close attention to the news that the remnants of the demons might have reappeared, but now they have discovered an even bigger bomb than that.

Then...

"…?"

He happened to notice the woman sitting across from Augustine, Heize, and had to stiffen his expression.

He didn't recognize Heize. She was just casually glancing in their direction.

But the massive hammer placed in front of her was the problem.

With red bloodstains on its head and a black skull emblem on its handle, he immediately recognized it as the signature weapon of the Black Skull, known for the ominous news that had been circulating from the battlefield recently.

'Damn it! What on earth is happening here?!'

This was undoubtedly a powder keg ready to explode.